Problems have recently arisen in the art of forming reinforced concrete structures, and in particular, concrete structures in which the reinforcing steel has a connection with surrounding earth, usually typlified by the footings or foundations utilized in homes or other concrete structures. The long time practice for locating the footing is to dig a trench in the ground and, to impart tensile strength to the concrete which will fill the trench and constitute the footing, to lay one or more horizontal layers of steel reinforcing bars. To impart the necessary tensile strength to the footing, these reinforcing bars, termed "rebars", are usually laid at a height above the ground which is generally 1/3 to 1/2 the total resultant height of the concrete footing. For example, if a concrete footing is to be 12 inches in depth, the rebar would lie at a distance of approximately 4 to 5 inches from the bottom surface of the concrete, and thus 4 to 5 inches above the bottom of the dug trench. The common practice is to drive a vertical stake into the ground at the bottom of the trench, and then attach at the proper height the horizontal rebar with a piece of wire wrapped crossways around both the stake and the horizontal rebar. In addition, it has been most convenient to use a short piece of rebar as the vertical stake since it may be pounded easily into the ground, and provides the necessary strength to hold the horizontal rebar in place against the force of the concrete as it is poured around the horizontal rebar and the vertical stake.
The problems which have developed and which are now coming to light is that the vertical stake, when rustable metal, tends to start rusting in the ground and the rust creeps on up into the set concrete where it meets the horizontal rebar. It will then commence rusting the horizontal rebar at the junction of where the stake meets the horizontal rebar and then will proceed in both directions, rusting the horizontal rebar until the rebar has totally rusted out in the footing.
Although there have been rebar saddles developed which uplift the horizontal rebar off the bottom of the trench, the common practice now utilized is to suspend the horizontal rebar from above, namely by placing a 2.times.4 piece of wood spanning the trench with wire suspended from it to hold the horizontal rebar. Then the concrete is poured around the above suspended rebar. However, the problem with this method is that the rebar is not held stationary in place against horizontal movement when the concrete is poured into the trench and as a result, the rebar in many cases will move during pouring and not end up solidifying in the concrete where it was intended to be placed. This is because the concrete, unless it is poured exactly on top of the rebar, will push the rebar in one direction or another and the rebar does not return to its originally suspended position before the concrete hardens.
As mentioned above, rebar saddles have been developed which hold the rebar above the bottom of the trench, however, they have not met the problem of traveling rust, as many of the prior art rebar saddles are made from metal which will rust and, they suffer from the shortcoming that they cannot begin to approach the cost of using a short piece of rebar as the vertical stake.
As a consequence, there exists a need where the economy of utilizing a vertical stake made from rebar or other economic material which may rust may be combined with a rebar saddle to secure horizontally placed rebar, while yet presenting a barrier to traveling rust which tends to destroy the integrity of the reinforcing horizontal bars in the concrete.